Category Archives: Fundamentals
Segment or Die: The Mechanics of Segments
If you have not yet discovered that segments are the life blood of analytics then consider the following as a quick review of how segmentation is used to convert measures into actionable insights. In part 1 I deal with the basic survival skills of segmentation analysis. I use the much maligned and debated bounce rate metric to illustrate the mechanics of segmentation. For all others you treat this as a quick review before we get to the hard stuff. Continue reading
Segments, Segments Everywhere
“But not a one I can use.” This is likely a conversation that still takes place today between marketing and analytics. Indeed it is likely that of all things in web analytics, segments and the different ways segments are used is the most confusing aspect. Everyone uses the term in different disciplines assuming that the other understands exactly what she or he means. They don’t! Continue reading
From Worst to Best: How to Report Metrics & Measures
No issue is more controversial and yet more fundamental than visitors vs visits. Several experts have put forward strong cases for unique visitors being “the worst metric”, “wildly inaccurate”, “no basis in reality”, the methods for determining unique visitors “render the resulting numbers useless!” I have taken a fundamentally different position in what I consider my best advice to web analysis. Caught in the head lights of expert opinion, it looks like I have some “splaning” to do. So do I crash burn or do these experts even have a chance. Read on to see how I work my way out of this predicament. Continue reading
The Axioms of Web Analytics
The subtitle for this is “And How Analyst and Tools Attempt to Skirt Them”. Axioms are suppose to be immutable and unchallengeable, but hey, in this day and age is there anything that does not go unchallenged. Is it possible that there is logic to Web Analytics? This argues yes – as simple as 10th grade Geometry. Continue reading
Mind Before You Mine 